Character Quotables: Justice

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Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable… Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.
— Martin Luther King, Jr.
Exclusion is never the way forward on our shared paths to freedom and justice.
— Desmond Tutu
The aim of justice is to give everyone his due.
— Cicero
I am well aware of the toil and blood and treasure that it will cost us to maintain this Declaration.
— John Adams, July 3, 1776
Gratitude situates one well to know what can be and must be done to challenge inequity. It situates one to see opportunity where others see despair.
— Lucas Johnson
The ‘Bird’s Nest’ National Stadium, which I helped to conceive, is designed to embody the Olympic spirit of ‘fair competition.’ It tells people that freedom is possible but needs fairness, courage and strength.
— Ai Weiwei
Justice is always violent to the party offending, for every man is innocent in his own eyes.
— Daniel Defoe
For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.
— Nelson Mandela
We realize the importance of our voices only when we are silenced.
— Malala Yousafzai
In matters of truth and justice, there is no difference between large and small problems, for issues concerning the treatment of people are all the same.
— Albert Einstein
Observe good faith and justice toward all nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all.
— George Washington
I know, up on top you are seeing great sights, but down here at the bottom we, too, should have rights.
— Dr. Seuss, Yertle the Turtle
Curiosity is the essence of human existence.
— Eugene Cernan
The happiness of one’s own heart alone cannot satisfy the soul; one must try to include, as necessary to one’s own happiness, the happiness of others.
— Paramahansa Yogananda
Fairness is man’s ability to rise above his prejudices.
— Wes Fessler
Social justice cannot be attained by violence. Violence kills what it intends to create.
— Pope John Paul II
Though force can protect in emergency, only justice, fairness, consideration and cooperation can finally lead men to the dawn of eternal peace.
— Dwight D. Eisenhower
Justice is what love looks like in public.
— Cornel West
Civilization is a method of living, an attitude of equal respect for all men.
— Jane Addams
The future which we hold in trust for our own children will be shaped by our fairness to other people’s children.
— Marian Wright Edelman
The virtue of justice consists in moderation, as regulated by wisdom.
— Aristotle
Live so that when your children think of fairness and integrity, they think of you.
— H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
— Martin Luther King, Jr.
May we think of freedom not as the right to do as we please, but as the opportunity to do what is right.
— Peter Marshall
Man’s capacity for justice makes democracy possible, but man’s inclination toward injustice makes democracy necessary.
— Reinhold Niebuhr
I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice.
— Abraham Lincoln
If you want peace work for justice.
— Pope Paul VI
Fairness is what justice really is.
— Potter Stewart
Peace and justice are two sides of the same coin.
— Dwight D. Eisenhower
The clash of ideas is the sound of freedom.
— Lady Bird Johnson
I would like to be known as a person who is concerned about freedom and equality and justice and prosperity for all people.
— Rosa Parks

How can you use Quotes?

  • Start a discussion: Quotes can start a discussion about a character trait at the beginning of a meeting or the dinner table. You can ask questions about what it means, how they have seen the trait demonstrated in their own lives, or how they can develop it themselves.

  • Provide a model: Quotes can provide a model of good character. When you read a quote from a famous person or historical figure, you show that people they admire also value the same character traits.

  • Use quotes as writing/journal prompts: Ask them to write a short essay about a quote to help them think more deeply about its implications for their lives.

  • Post quotes: You can post quotes where they will be seen/heard often – classroom, breakroom, lobby, dining room, email signatures, video bulletin boards, morning announcements, social media, etc.

  • Read quotes aloud: You can read quotes aloud to your children during mealtimes, bedtime, or any other time you spend together.

  • Make it fun:  You can make it even more fun by incorporating games, activities, or crafts. Let children decorate signs with the quotes to hang in the classroom or a bedroom door. Record children saying it and post it on social media.

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Character Quotables: Kindness

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Character Quotables: Initiative